Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Adds Cinematic Bonuses for RPG Fans

The upcoming Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX compilation will come packed with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Re: Chain of Memories. These new versions are an upgrade of their old-selves with better camera angles, tightened controls and all the other trimmings you’d expect from a remastered release.

However, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX is more than a simple love letter to franchise fans and newcomers to the series.

HD 1.5 ReMIX includes Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, originally released on the Nintendo DS, in cut-scene form only. While the core DS game is unplayable, fans get a chance to watch the story at length without pandering to twenty plus hours of dungeon crawling. It’s not only a nice gesture – because I’m sure the game will sell regardless of the bonus footage – but it’s an option for gamers who may not have the time to level grind. Perhaps this will serve as a new paradigm for other publishers who can’t get enough of remastering old titles.

While many people may not consider themselves core gamers, it’s safe to say that everyone is willing to hear a good story. Some fans may watch an entire game walkthrough – cut scenes and gameplay included – on YouTube, without ever picking up a controller. Still, there are a few great gaming tales that go unheard.

So why not solve all that and simply have an “all inclusive” option? Would it be a crime to give all gaming consumers the opportunity to watch the game, rather than play through it? Perhaps that is what EASY mode is for? However, this new paradigm could serve as an open invitation to mid-core, casual and non gamers, who would otherwise not have the time to play through the myriad of games on the market.

Of course, this “cheat” could also discourage gamers from playing through a game in its entirety. Why play through a meaty campaign like Halo 4 or Tomb Raider, when you can simply watch the whole game in one condensed sitting? It would open up pandora’s box. Twitter would be an even bigger playground for spoilers.

What do you think? Instead of waiting for Hollywood to completely botch a story, should games include a “cinematic only” version of their game for non-gamers? Would that turn you off from playing games? Do you think it will encourage a new audience to give video games a shot? Let us know your thoughts.